Consider the momentous event in architecture when the wall parted and the column became – Louis Kahn
In order to define space, by experimenting and playing with certain spatial elements like the floor, ceiling and wall. But have we truly worked out the nuances of each element? In design, a wall is a separator. It distinguishes the inside and the outside; private and public; the individual and the other. Even historically the wall has been a symbolic gesture of separation (like The Great Wall of China or the Berlin wall). Yet when one thinks of their abode, or home they imagine the confinement of familiar walls. By playing with material, proportion and scale the wall become more than a mere element. In response to cultural, geographic and climatic conditions, walls inherit an identity.
Carving a niche, this installation redefines the purpose of the wall. Projecting as more than an element the wall becomes a habitable place. The scale and functions analyse the requirements of the individual taking a cue from the innovation of requirement that one often sees in the
homes of urban squatter communities. The installation is an experiment in anthropometric norms, textures, and spatial experience of one’s habitat.
METHODOLOGY
Every space is made up of certain base elements, a floor, ceiling and a wall. With this pavilion we experiment with the wall as a home, by
expanding the thickness of the wall, and sculpting it to accommodate the functions of a home.
- Outline:
We start with trying to understand the base requirement for a contemporary habitual space, by chartering out a series of calculated ergonomic studies, based on the ‘flexible problem solving solutions’ (jugaad) inferred from squatter homes.
- Craft:
By creating multiple slices through a home, we hope to illustrate the wall as a building element that can be repeated, while allowing for interesting permutations. Using a combination of presented walls one can then create a home that is a 3 wall home or a 5 wall home, and so on. The installation itself will only represent a kit of parts; a scaled model and a set of graphical illustrations will be part of the installation to present a more holistic picture. Articulating its single module unit, like the brick, will be crafted to accommodate all these aspects.
A] Wall as a structure; by expanding its proportions we are postulating the wall as a home
B] Wall as a passive energy system; instead of providing an additional layer for temperature control, the materiality of the wall responds to the climate, with thermal mass and water.
C] Wall as storage space; by using elements like chairs stacked up to create incidental shelving spaces.
D] Wall as fenestration; reinterpreting the purpose of a screen.
E] Wall as a sustainable recycling of material; a cohesive system that is made up of what can be considered constructional waste.
- Form + Material
The pavilion looks at reinventing and rebuilding the purpose of walls in a habitat. Each material and spatial experiment will be represented as a wall section extending the role of ‘walls’ as space, storage, structural efficiency, thermal insulation and ventilation, showcasing the different tenants of architecture. The wall will be created using construction waste, as well as recycled wood and material acquired from dismantled homes.
Location: Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur
Typology: Exhibition
